Compound adjectives: impact, effect and time (B2 Vocabulary)
Far-reaching effects spread widely, long-lasting ones continue for a long time, and a well-known person or thing is recognized by many people.
Wide and lasting effects
Not "She is a well known expert on coastal erosion." — say "She is a well-known expert on coastal erosion.". Use the hyphen before a noun: a well-known expert, but the expert is well known.
Try it: Amina: Does the new bus plan affect only downtown? Mateo: No, it will have ___ effects across the whole city. Choose the word for the blank. (far-reaching / long-reaching / far reaching) Answer: far-reaching — The compound is far-reaching, with a hyphen before a noun; "long-reaching" is not English.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
far-reaching
/ˌfɑr ˈritʃɪŋ/
The privacy law has had far-reaching consequences for advertisers.
long-lasting
/ˌlɔŋ ˈlæstɪŋ/
Their partnership proved long-lasting, surviving three changes of management.
well-known
/ˌwɛl ˈnoʊn/
She's a well-known expert on coastal erosion.
Effects on people
A thought-provoking idea makes you think, an eye-catching design grabs attention, and a time-consuming task takes a lot of time.
Not "It was a time-consuming lecture that really made me think." — say "It was a thought-provoking lecture that really made me think.". Thought-provoking is about your mind; time-consuming is only about time.
Try it: Camila: That exhibition made me rethink how I shop. Wei: Same here. It was really ___. Choose the word for the blank. (thought-provoking / eye-catching / time-consuming) Answer: thought-provoking — Something that changes how you think is thought-provoking, while "eye-catching" only grabs attention.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
thought-provoking
/ˈθɔt prəˌvoʊkɪŋ/
The documentary raised a thought-provoking question about privacy.
eye-catching
/ˈaɪ ˌkætʃɪŋ/
Her eye-catching red jacket stood out in the crowd.
time-consuming
/ˈtaɪm kənˌsumɪŋ/
Filling out the visa forms was more time-consuming than I expected.
Time and age
Short-lived means over almost as soon as it began, last-minute means done at the final moment, and old-fashioned means from an earlier time.
Not "The celebration was short-lasting." — say "The celebration was short-lived.". The opposite of long-lasting is short-lived.
Try it: Ira: Is Mosh Market still open late on Fridays? Lars: No, that was ___. It stopped after a month. Choose the word for the blank. (short-lived / long-lasting / last-minute) Answer: short-lived — Something that ends soon after it starts is short-lived, the opposite of "long-lasting".
Word
Pronunciation
Example
short-lived
/ˌʃɔrt ˈlaɪvd/
The celebration was short-lived; the result was overturned an hour later.
last-minute
/ˌlæst ˈmɪnət/
We booked a last-minute flight and paid twice the usual price.
old-fashioned
/ˌoʊld ˈfæʃənd/
He still writes letters by hand, which I find charmingly old-fashioned.
What are the common mistakes?
Incorrect
Correct
Why
She is a well known expert on coastal erosion.
She is a well-known expert on coastal erosion.
Use the hyphen before a noun: a well-known expert, but the expert is well known.
It was a time-consuming lecture that really made me think.
It was a thought-provoking lecture that really made me think.
Thought-provoking is about your mind; time-consuming is only about time.